Golf club device

ABSTRACT

An improved golf club head includes a front face, a leading edge, a hosel, a body, and a center of mass. The improved golf club head may include one or more improved design, balance, and weight distribution characteristics. The improved golf club head may include one or more of a vertically balanced leading edge, a horizontally balanced face, and a face that is weighted such that the center of mass is positioned at the same height as the center of mass of a golf ball when being addressed by the club. The improved golf club head may have a hosel that is aligned with the center of mass of the club in the same vertical plane.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/570,180, filed Oct. 10, 2017, which the entirecontents are incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a golf club, particularly a golf clubhead having one or more of a vertically balanced leading edge, ahorizontally balanced front face, and a front face that is balanced suchthat the center of mass is positioned as the same height as the centerof mass of a golf ball to provide improved design, weighting, andbalance.

BACKGROUND

A golf club is a piece of sporting equipment having a grip, a shaft, anda club head. A user may grasp the golf club about the grip, and swingthe club such that the head of the club strikes a golf ball. The clubhead typically connects to the shaft via a hosel, which is a socketportion of the golf club head into which the shaft fits. There are a fewbasic types of golf clubs, with each type of golf club corresponding toa particular type of club head. For example, there are “woods,” whichtypically have a large, three-dimensional oblong-shaped head, “irons,”which typically have a thin plate-shaped head, and “putters” thatcommonly have a flat box-shaped head. Each type of golf club has a frontface for striking the golf ball. When oriented vertically, the face of agolf club may be offset from the shaft at an angle, known as the loft orloft angle. The loft angle of a club is designed to achieve a particularloft upon striking the ball, and varies for each type of golf club. Forwoods, a loft angle of a club may typically fall within a range of 8degrees to 28 degrees. For irons, a loft angle of a club may typicallyfall within a range of 15 degrees to 62 degrees. For putters, the loftangle is typically 0-4 degrees, but may also range to negative 15 to 10degrees.

The portion of a golf club head nearest the shaft may be referred to asthe “heel” of the club, whereas the portion of a golf club head on theopposing edge may be referred to as the “toe” of the club.Conventionally, irons and woods are typically designed so that the toeof the club has a greater average height than the heel of the club,thereby tending to position the horizontal center of mass of the clubhead closer to the toe than to the heel. This is because conventionalclubs have a closed balance that may naturally tend to cause a hook/drawball flight, so balancing the clubhead so that the toe is heavier maytend to keep the clubhead from closing over too quickly upon the clubbeing swung, which may tend to keep the face square (i.e., not closed oropen) when contacting the ball. In such conventional clubs, the weightis not balanced horizontally across the face of the club in the sensethat the position of the vertical weight distribution tends to be at arelatively high height towards the toe and a low height towards the heelof the club, which may tend to cause the toe to lower and the heel torise in reference to their starting positions when the club is inmotion. Further, most conventional clubs have a hosel that is offsetfrom the center of mass of the club head such that the club head has anopen or closed balance of between approximately 8 to 30 degrees. Thesedesign features are disadvantageous because when in motion, thehorizontal weight distribution of a conventional clubhead will cause thetoe to lower and the heel to raise to match the ground plane, which maycause the shaft of the club to bend forward excessively as a result andput force on the hands to move forward and out of place in reference totheir starting position. The open/closed center of mass relative tohosel is disadvantageous because at the fastest point of a swing, thedirection of the clubface will be open or closed to the path of theswing, causing either strain on the golfer to square the clubface or thefastest point of the swing to be after the moment of impact. Puttersoften include a closed balance, a low center of gravity below the centerof the ball, a low loft, and a somewhat rectangular face but these aredifferent than woods and irons because putters are designed so that theyare swung with the bottom surface of the putter being generally parallelto the ground throughout the duration of the swing, whereas woods andirons are swung in a circular fashion. Accordingly, putters aregenerally designed to have a horizontal weight distribution across theface of the putter that is low (i.e., close to the bottom of the clubhead) on the heel to low on the toe. In contrast to irons and woods,which are intended to launch a ball into the air upon being struck in amanner in which the spin and loft/trajectory of the ball may bemanipulated by the swing, a putter is configured to launch a ball into astraight roll (assuming a flat surface), and thus, club head designconsiderations such as the balance of the leading edge, the horizontalbalance, and the balance relative to the center of mass of a golf ballmay be different with respect to putters than they are to the design ofwoods and irons.

Thus, it would be desirable to develop an improved golf club head withimproved balance characteristics such as a clubhead having a verticallybalanced leading edge, a club face that is horizontally balanced, and aclub face that has a balance such that the center of mass of theclubhead is configured to align with the center of mass of a golf ballwhen the club addresses the ball. A clubhead having a verticallybalanced leading edge may provide an advantage of allowing for theleading edge to be parallel to the shaft when striking the ball,allowing for the ball to fly straight. A clubhead having a club facethat is horizontally balanced may provide an advantage of preventing thebottom of the club face of an iron from unevenly contacting the ground(e.g., the toe portion of the club digs into the ground further than theheel) when being swung and may allow for better swing mechanics byeliminating an imbalance that may tend to pull a golfer's hands out ofplace when the club is swung. Although clubs (e.g., drivers) and puttersdon't tend to break the surface of the ground when swung, a horizontallybalanced club face of a club or putter may advantageously affect themotion of the club when it is swung, as the weighting of traditionalclubs may tend to pull the toe downwards at the point of contact withthe ball. Finally, a clubhead having a center of mass configured toalign with the center of mass of a golf ball when struck is advantageousbecause a club transfers the most energy to a ball when it is struck inline with the center of mass. Traditional clubs (especially irons)typically have a center of mass that is positioned below the golf ballwhen the club is on the ground, meaning a golfer must strike the ballwith a different impact position than the position used to address theball before swinging. Accordingly, clubheads having a center of massconfigured to align with the center of mass of a golf ball may promotebetter swing mechanics because the start and impact positions will bethe same.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to improved golf club designs relating to theweighting and balance of putters, wedges, irons, woods, and drivers.Each of these clubs are specified as their own entity as defined by theUnited States Golf Association (USGA). Currently, it is standard for aclub to have the club shaft intersect with the face at an offset.Embodiments of the present disclosure may be designed such that shaftintersects the club head directly in line with the center of mass of theclub. This feature may balance the club in such a way that the leadingedge of the club face is at 0 degrees from the vertical plane (i.e., 90degrees from the ground plane) when the club is placed on a table suchthat the shaft of the club rest on top of the table and the head of theclub freely dangles over the side of the table. Further innovationsrelating to the design, weighting, and balance of an improved golf clubhead may include golf club heads that are balanced vertically in theleading edge, balanced across the face horizontally, and balanced in theweight of the face in relation to the height of the ball being hit, suchthat the golf ball launches at the same angle as the orientation of theclub face during impact. These improvements may make it possible for agolfer to improve their swing by increasing the likelihood of hittingthe ball in the sweet spot at the best attack angle, resulting in a shothaving a greater distance. Additionally, in embodiments where the centerof mass of the club is positioned on the club face such that it alignswith the height of the center of mass of the golf ball being hit,driving distance and repeatability are both improved for the averagegolfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Reference will now be made to the accompanying figures, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C show a wood golf club head, in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 1A is a front view,FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1C is a top view of the wood golf clubhead, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1D, FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H, FIG. 1I, FIG. 1J, and FIG.1K show another embodiment of a wood golf club head, in accordance withanother exemplary embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 1D is a side view, FIG.1E is a top view, FIG. 1F is a partial cross-sectional front perspectiveview, FIG. 1G is a bottom cutaway view, FIG. 1H is a side perspectivecross-sectional view, FIG. 1I is a side cross-sectional view, FIG. 1J isa side cross-sectional view, and FIG. 1K is a front perspectivecross-sectional view.

FIG. 1L shows a top view of a conventional wood golf club head in whichthe hosel is offset from the center of mass of the club head.

FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C show an iron golf club head, in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 2A is a front view,FIG. 2B is a side view, and FIG. 2C is a top view of the iron golf clubhead, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 2D shows a conventional iron golf club head in which the hosel isoffset from the center of mass of the club head.

FIG. 2E shows an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an iron golfclub head that is horizontally balanced and has an asymmetrical frontface design.

FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C show a putter golf club head, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 3A is afront view, FIG. 3B is a side view, and FIG. 3C is a top view of thewood golf club head, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C show a three-dimensional prototype of aniron golf club head, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.Specifically, FIG. 4A is a front perspective view, FIG. 4B is a topview, and FIG. 4C is a rear perspective view of the iron golf club head,in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C show examples of a conventionally balancedwood golf club, iron golf club, and putter golf club, respectively.

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C show examples of golf clubs havingvertically balanced golf club heads including a wood golf club head andtwo iron golf club heads, respectively, according to exampleembodiments.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show examples of improved wedge iron golf club heads200 according to exemplary embodiments. Specifically, FIG. 7A is a rearperspective view, and FIG. 7B is a top isometric view of improved wedgeiron golf club heads 200, according to exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference tothe following detailed description of example embodiments and theexamples included herein. Before the example embodiments of the devicesand methods according to the present disclosure are disclosed anddescribed, it is to be understood that embodiments are not limited tothose described within this disclosure. Numerous modifications andvariations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art andremain within the scope of the disclosure. It is also to be understoodthat the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describingspecific embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Someembodiments of the disclosed technology will be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosedtechnology may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth therein.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth.However, it is to be understood that embodiments of the disclosedtechnology may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not beenshown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of thisdescription. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “exampleembodiment,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “variousembodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s) of the disclosedtechnology so described may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes theparticular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated useof the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment, although it may.

Unless otherwise noted, the terms used herein are to be understoodaccording to conventional usage by those of ordinary skill in therelevant art. In addition to any definitions of terms provided below, itis to be understood that as used in the specification and in the claims,“a” or “an” can mean one or more, depending upon the context in which itis used. Throughout the specification and the claims, the followingterms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” is intended tomean an inclusive “or.” Further, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” areintended to mean one or more unless specified otherwise or clear fromthe context to be directed to a singular form.

Unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives “first,”“second,” “third,” etc., to describe a common object, merely indicatethat different instances of like objects are being referred to, and arenot intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a givensequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any othermanner.

Also, in describing the example embodiments, terminology will beresorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each termcontemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in theart and includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similarmanner to accomplish a similar purpose.

To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of theembodiments of the present disclosure, example embodiments are explainedhereinafter with reference to their implementation in an illustrativeembodiment. Such illustrative embodiments are not, however, intended tobe limiting.

The materials described hereinafter as making up the various elements ofthe embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to beillustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable materials that wouldperform the same or a similar function as the materials described hereinare intended to be embraced within the scope of the example embodiments.Such other materials not described herein can include, but are notlimited to, materials that are developed after the time of thedevelopment of the invention, for example.

Embodiments of the disclosed technology include embodiments of animproved golf club head, including improved golf club heads for woods,irons, putters, and any variations thereof (e.g., hybrids, drivers,wedges, etc.). In various embodiments, an improved golf club head mayinclude one or more innovations relating to the balance of the clubhead. In particular, an improved golf club head of the currentdisclosure may be balanced vertically with respect to the leading edge,balanced across the face horizontally, and balanced with respect to theheight of the face of the golf club head such that the center of mass ofthe club head aligns to the height of the center of mass of the golfball being hit (i.e., the height of a golf ball resting on the ground)so that the golf ball may tend to launch at the same angle as theorientation of the club face during impact. Further, an improved golfclub head may have a hosel that is aligned with the center of mass ofthe club in the same vertical plane, which may provide advantageousbalance properties, such as the parallel alignment of the shaft withleading edge of the clubhead that may result in a straighter flight pathof the ball when struck. Further, during a swing with a conventionalclub, the club face will tend to close as the swing reaches its fastestpoint because the center of mass will line up with the hosel,perpendicular to the path, and conventional clubs start with the centerof mass behind the hosel. Further, the clubface tends to close inrelation to the path of the club or any tangent path of the club on theswing arc, including and especially the path at the fastest point.Accordingly, to hit the ball straight with a conventional club, a golfermust strike the ball before the club face closes (i.e., not at themaximum speed) or use additional strength to try to counteract theclosing of the club face, which may lead to injuries and an overallslower club head speed at impact. Accordingly, aligning the hosel withthe center of mass of the club in the same vertical plane may enable theclub to strike the ball at the maximum speed, thus increasing thedistance of the shot.

Throughout this disclosure, certain embodiments are described inexemplary fashion in relation to an improved golf club head. However, itshould be understood that a golf club head is an integral part of a golfclub, and accordingly, this disclosure contemplates the creation of golfclubs that integrate the embodiments of the improved golf club headsdescribed herein. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, a golfclub may be constructed by attaching a shaft with a grip into the hoselof an improved golf club head described herein.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1C illustratean example embodiment of an improved wood golf club head 100. As shownin FIGS. 1A-1C improved wood golf club head 100 has a front face 102that may be used to strike a golf ball, a leading edge 104 positionedalong the bottom edge of front face 102, a hosel 106 that may beconfigured to attachably receive a golf club shaft (not shown), and abody 108 that is a three-dimensional shape behind front face 102 thatmay provide mass that generates a momentum force when a club isincluding improved wood golf club head 100 is swung. Improved wood golfclub head 100 may also have a center of mass 110 that may be a pointthat represents the mean position of matter of improved wood golf clubhead 100 (including hosel 106).

According to some embodiments, improved wood golf club head 100 may beadvantageously designed such that leading edge 104 may be balancedvertically, which may provide advantages such as increased club headspeed at the ball, reduced force from the club on the golfer, improvedswing biomechanics resulting from the maximum swing speed occurring atthe time of contact with the ball, reduced stress on the shaft of theclub, reduced contact with the ground resulting from the maximum clubhead speed occurring at the ball, increased ball speed from a centerstrike of the ball, and enabling a golfer to line up their hands withthe center of the club head rather than in front of or behind the clubhead. In other words, if the shaft of a golf club including improvedwood golf club head 100 were to be placed on top of a flat table suchthat improved wood golf club head 100 freely dangled over the edge ofthe table, the weight distribution of improved wood golf club head 100may be such that improved wood golf club head 100 may naturally come torest in a position where leading edge 104 may point directly downwardsso that it is oriented in a plane that intersects with the ground at a90 degree angle (assuming that the ground is perpendicular to the legsof the table). This characteristic may be referred to as having a“vertically balanced leading edge” or having a “90 degree leading edge”or a “0 degree leading edge” (i.e., 90 degrees relative to the ground or0 degrees relative to the vertical plane). In contrast, although notstrictly limited to this range, conventional clubs are typically closedfrom the vertical plane by roughly 8-15 degrees. In other words, when aconventional club is balanced on a table in the same manner as describeabove, when at rest the leading edge of the club may point to the groundat an angle roughly within the range of 8-15 degrees from the verticalplane (i.e., the plane that intersects the ground at a 90 degree angle).This is due to the fact that conventional clubs typically include aconventional offset (i.e., the offset between the forward most edge ofthe hosel and the leading edge of the club head) of zero (i.e., theforward most edge of the hosel is aligned with the leading edge of theclub head) or greater (i.e., the forward most edge of the hosel ispositioned in front of the leading edge of the club head). Typically, aconventional offset of zero from the leading edge of the club head willresult in an approximately 8 degree balance offset (i.e., offset fromthe center of mass and the hosel). According to some embodiments,improved wood golf club head 100 has no such offset, which may causeimproved wood golf club head 100 to have a vertically balanced leadingedge. In some embodiments, a vertically balanced leading edge may beperpendicular to the same target/direction of the loft.

According to some embodiments, vertically balancing the leading edge maybe achieved by aligning hosel 106 to intersect with body 108 in the sameplane as center of mass 110 of the improved club head 100. In otherwords, hosel 106 may be positioned such that a centerline axis of hosel106 (i.e., the line that extends along the center of the cylindricalportion of hosel 106) lies in the same vertical plane as center of mass110. In various embodiments, center of mass 110 may be positioned atdifferent points in body 108. For example, in some embodiments center ofmass 110 may be positioned close to front face 102 and in otherembodiments center of mass 110 may be positioned closer to the center ofbody 108. Accordingly, in various embodiments, hosel 106 may attach tobody 108 at different points of body 108 so that it is aligned in thesame vertical plane as center of mass 110 along the length of body 108.Thus, in some embodiments, hosel 106 may attach to body 108 such thatthe centerline axis of hosel 108 is in the same vertical plane as centerof mass 110. In some embodiments, the vertical plane that includes boththe centerline of hosel 108 and center of mass 110 may be a verticalplane that is oriented parallel to leading edge 104.

As mentioned above, the position of center of mass 110 of improved woodgolf club head 100 may vary in different embodiments. According to someembodiments, the position of center of mass 110 may be influenced and/ordetermined by the shape, loft, length, width, height, thickness, and/ordensity of improved wood golf club head 100 and various embodiments ofimproved golf club head 100 may have different shape and/or densitycharacteristics. For example, in some embodiments, body 108 of improvedwood golf club head 100 may be a continuous material of approximatelyequally distributed density. However, in some embodiments, body 108 ofimproved wood golf club head 100 may include a hollow cavity filled withair or other materials. In some embodiments where body 108 includes ahollow cavity that is filled with air for example, the thickness offront face 102 may be thicker, the same, or thinner than the other wallsof body 108 to influence the positioning of center of mass 110. Forexample, if front face 102 is thicker than the other walls of body 108,this may have the effect of positioning center of mass 110 closer tofront face 102 relative to an embodiment where front face 102 is thinnerthan the other walls of body 108. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS.1B and 1C, center of mass 110 of improved wood golf club head 100 may bepositioned close to front face 102. For example, in some embodiments, adriver comprising an improved wood golf club head 100 may have a centerof mass approximately 8-30 millimeters behind leading edge 104, 5-25millimeters high, and 15-23 millimeters across front face 102 from theedge of hosel 106. It should be understood that these distances areillustrative only and that the position of the center of mass may varyas individual shapes and designs of club heads vary.

Further, FIG. 1D, FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H, FIG. 1I, FIG. 1J,FIG. 1K illustrate an example embodiment of another improved wood golfclub head 100 with a weighted insert 112 into a hollow cavity of woodgolf club head 100. The weighted insert 112 may influence the center ofmass 110. The improved wood golf club head 100 of FIGS. 1D-1K has asimilar front face 102, leading edge 104, hosel 106, body 108, andcenter of mass 110 as described with respect to FIGS. 1A-1C. Forbrevity, these features and their functions will not be described again.

As shown in FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H, FIG. 1I, FIG. 1J, FIG. 1K, insome embodiments, weighted insert 112 may be a triangular or pyramidalstructure that is placed within a hollow cavity of improved wood golfclub head 100 to add and distributed weight in a predesigned manner.According to some embodiments, a triangular weighted insert 112 may bepositioned within a hollow cavity of improved wood club head 100 suchthat a first and second arm 114 a, 114 b, extend out of the interiorsurface of front face 102 and meet at a point of intersection 116towards the rear end of body 108. Although the embodiment shown in FIG.1H shows that the triangular weighted insert 112 is hollow (i.e., thereis an empty space between first and second arms 114 a, 114 b), in someembodiments weighted insert 112 may be a continuous piece of material(i.e., it may not be hollow). Further, in some embodiments, weightedinsert 112 may also include a front weight portion 118 that is attachedto the interior surface of front face 112 to add more weight to frontface 112. According to some embodiments, front weight portion 118 may bea solid triangular protrusion from the interior surface of front face102, as shown in FIG. 1H.

Although the preceding description relates to an improved wood golf clubhead 100 having a vertically balanced leading edge, in some embodimentsit may be desirable for the leading edge to be offset from the verticalplane slightly (i.e., the vertical plane referred to when the golf clubis balanced on a table as previously described above). To avoidconfusion, the vertical plane referenced in relation to the verticalbalance of the leading edge (i.e., the vertical plane relative toleading edge 104 of the club head when the club head is balanced on atable as described previously above) may be referred to as the “absolutevertical plane.” In some embodiments, an improved wood golf club head100 may be open or closed from the absolute vertical plane byapproximately 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, or 5 degrees.According to some embodiments, an improved wood golf club head 100 maybe open or closed from the absolute vertical plane by any angle between0 degrees and 5 degrees. According to some embodiments, improved woodgolf club head 100 may be designed to have a leading edge 104 that isoffset from the absolute vertical plane by an amount that is within therange of 0-5 degrees by, for example, adjusting the position at whichhosel 106 attaches to body 108 so that the centerline axis of hosel 106is not positioned in the same vertical plane as center of mass 110, butis offset from center of mass 110 by some amount. For example, hosel 106may be positioned so that it attaches to body 108 in a vertical planethat is slightly in front of or slightly behind center of mass 110. Ifhosel 106 is positioned in a vertical plane that is slightly in front ofcenter of mass 110, it may cause leading edge 104 to be closed from theabsolute vertical plane by some amount, whereas if hosel 106 ispositioned in a vertical plane that is slightly behind center of mass110, it may cause leading edge 104 to be open from the absolute verticalplane. For example, FIG. 1L shows a conventional wood golf club head100A with a front face 102A, a leading edge 1204A, a hosel 106A, a body108A, and a center of mass 210A. The hosel 106A is positioned slightlyin front of center of mass 110A, creating in this case, an angle ofapproximately 82 degrees from center of mass 110A to the centerline axisof hosel 106A. In this case, the balance of leading edge 104A is closedby 8 degrees. According to some embodiments, the balance of leading edge104 may be closed by an amount that is equal to 90 degrees minus theangle between center of mass 110 to the centerline axis of hosel 106.

According to some embodiments, improved wood golf club head 100 may beadvantageously designed so that the weight is horizontally balancedacross front face 102 of the club head, which may contribute to improvedswing mechanics and increased energy transfer from wood golf club head100 to a golf ball. According to some embodiments, a horizontallybalanced club face may refer to a club face where the average positionof the height of the center of mass across the horizontal axis of thefront face 102 of the club is at the same height or is at approximatelythe same height. In some embodiments, a horizontally balanced club facemay refer to a club face where the position of the vertical height ofthe mass across the front face 102 from the heel to the toe forms atrend line that is approximately level to the ground (when the club isaddressing the ball). In some embodiments, the weight of improved woodgolf club head 100 may be horizontally balanced such that center of mass110 is positioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 102.Accordingly, in some embodiments, center of mass 110 may be located in avertical plane that intersects the midpoint of leading edge 104 at aperpendicular angle. In some embodiments, center of mass 110 may belocated in a vertical plane that intersects the top edge of front face102 at a perpendicular angle. Balancing of the weight across front face102 of the club head may be achieved, in some embodiments, by shapingfront face 102 so that, for example, front face 102 is symmetrical abouta line that intersects the midpoint of leading edge at a perpendicularangle to leading edge. In some embodiments, balancing the weight ofimproved wood golf club head 100 such that center of mass 110 ispositioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 102 may be achievedby the design of the shape of front face 102 and body 108 balanced withthe weight of hosel 108. According to some embodiments, wood golf clubhead 100 may have more weight on the upper part of the toe in anembodiment where front face 102 is approximately symmetrical in order tocounterbalance the weight of hosel 106.

Conventional woods do not have a symmetrical front face and/or body, butare typically thicker towards the toe of the club head than the heel,resulting in the weight of the club being unbalanced across the face ofthe club. However, according to some embodiments, wood golf club head100 may have an asymmetrical face and may still be horizontally balancedacross the front face 102 of wood golf club head 100 by, for example,varying the thickness of the wood golf club head 100 so that center ofmass 110 is at the same height across front face 102 from the heel totoe of wood gold club head 100.

Further, because the leading edge of the face of a typical wood is onsetform the front edge of the hosel and offset from the center of mass, atypical club head requires more weight to be concentrated in the toeportion of the club head to keep the club face open and/or prevent itfrom closing over. Improved wood golf club head 100 does not have thisproblem because it does not include an offset. Further, because improvedwood golf club head 100 may have a neutral balance, the club may have aflatter/lower lie angle of hosel 106 biomechanically, which may allowfor longer clubs to work in the same situations and which may createfaster speeds that can lead to longer distance shots.

In some embodiments, a nearly symmetrical shape of improved wood golfclub head 100 may improve proprioception and special awareness of wherethe player should hit the golf ball on the club. Further, according tosome embodiments, a high level of stability may be achieved bypositioning hosel 106 directly across from the further part of the toeof improved wood golf club head 100.

According to some embodiments, improved wood golf club head 100 mayadvantageously be designed such that center of mass 110 of improved woodgolf club head 100 relative to front face 102 may be positioned at thesame height as the center of mass of a golf ball, which may beneficiallycause a golf ball to launch at the same angle as the club face whenstruck by the club. Although this feature refers to center of mass 110being positioned at the same height as the center of mass as of the golfball, it should be understood that the intent is for the design tofacilitate the striking of the ball by improved wood golf club head 100in a manner that the center of masses of both the club head 100 and theball are aligned at the point of impact. Accordingly, it is anticipatedthat when using woods, such as a driver, many players will elevate thegolf ball using a golf tee, and so to account for this fact, in someembodiments, center of mass 110 of improved wood golf club head mayactually be higher than the center of mass of a golf ball by resting onthe ground by a distance that approximates the height of a tee (e.g.,approximately 5-10 millimeters). The weight of a conventional wood golfclub may have more weight distributed in the upper portions of the toeand heel of the club head, and thus, and so improved wood golf club head100 may be designed to have a lower center of mass 110 than conventionalwoods, by for example, adding more to the lower portion of improved woodclub head 100 using, for example, a weighted insert 112 as describedabove with respect to FIGS. 1F-1K. A typical golf ball is roughly 41-43millimeters tall, and its center of mass may typically be at around 21millimeters in height. Accordingly, in some embodiments, improved woodgolf club head 100 may have a front face 102 having a center of mass 110positioned approximately 21 millimeters above leading edge 104. In someembodiments, center of mass 110 may be positioned higher than 21millimeters above leading edge 104 by approximately 5-10 millimeters toaccount for use of a tee. In some embodiments, positioning of center ofmass 110 may be achieved by, for example, designing front face 102 to besymmetrical and to have the same total height as a golf ball such thatthe middle of the face would be half the height of the golf ball.Alternatively, weighted insert 112 may be used to adjust the verticalheight of center of mass 110 as described previously.

FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C illustrate an example embodiment of animproved iron golf club head 200. As shown in FIG. 2A, improved irongolf club head 200 has a front face 202 that may be used to strike agolf ball, a leading edge 204 positioned along the bottom edge of frontface 202, a hosel 206 that may be configured to attachably receive agolf club shaft (not shown), and a body 208 that is a three-dimensionalshape behind front face 202 that may provide mass that generates amomentum force when a club is including improved iron golf club head 200is swung. Improved iron golf club head 200 may also have a center ofmass 210 that may be a point that represents the mean position of matterof improved iron golf club head 200.

According to some embodiments, improved iron golf club head 200 may beadvantageously designed such that leading edge 204 may be balancedvertically, which may provide advantages such as increased club headspeed at the ball, reduced force from the club on the golfer, improvedswing biomechanics resulting from the maximum swing speed occurring atthe time of contact with the ball, reduced stress on the shaft of theclub, reduced contact with the ground resulting from the maximum clubhead speed occurring at the ball, increased ball speed from a centerstrike of the ball, and enabling a golfer to line up their hands withthe center of the club head rather than in front of or behind the clubhead. In other words, if the shaft of a golf club including improvediron golf club head 200 were to be placed on top of a flat table suchthat improved iron golf club head 200 freely dangled over the edge ofthe table, the weight distribution of improved iron golf club head 200may be such that improved iron golf club head 200 may naturally come torest in a position where leading edge 202 may point directly downwardsso that it is oriented in a plane that intersects with the ground at a90 degree angle (assuming that the ground is perpendicular to the legsof the table). This characteristic may be referred to as having a“vertically balanced leading edge” or having a “90 degree leading edge”or a “0 degree leading edge” (i.e., 90 degrees relative to the ground or0 degrees relative to the vertical plane). In contrast, conventionalclubs are typically closed from the vertical plane by roughly 8-15degrees. In other words, when a conventional club is balanced on a tablein the same manner as describe above, when at rest the leading edge ofthe club may point to the ground at an angle roughly within the range of8-15 degrees from the vertical plane (i.e., the plane that intersectsthe ground at a 90 degree angle). This is due to the fact thatconventional clubs typically include a conventional offset (i.e., theoffset between the forward most edge of the hosel and the leading edgeof the club head) of zero (i.e., the forward most edge of the hosel isaligned with the leading edge of the club head) or greater (i.e., theforward most edge of the hosel is positioned in front of the leadingedge of the club head). Typically, a conventional offset of zero fromthe leading edge of the club head will result in an approximately 8degree balance offset (i.e., offset from the center of mass and thehosel). According to some embodiments, improved iron golf club head 200has no such offset, which may cause improved iron golf club head 200 tohave a vertically balanced leading edge.

According to some embodiments, vertically balancing the leading edge maybe achieved by aligning hosel 206 to intersect with body 208 in the sameplane as center of mass 210 of the improved club head 200. In otherwords, hosel 206 may be positioned such that a centerline axis of hosel206 (i.e., the line that extends along the center of the cylindricalportion of hosel 206) lies in the same vertical plane as center of mass210. In various embodiments, center of mass 210 may be positioned atdifferent points in body 208. For example, in some embodiments center ofmass 210 may be positioned close to front face 202 and in otherembodiments center of mass 210 may be positioned closer to the center ofbody 208. Accordingly, in various embodiments, hosel 206 may attach tobody 208 at different points of body 208 so that it may be aligned inthe same vertical plane as center of mass 210 along the length of body208. Thus, in some embodiments, hosel 206 may attach to body 208 suchthat the centerline axis of hosel 208 is in the same vertical plane ascenter of mass 210. In some embodiments, the vertical plane thatincludes both the centerline of hosel 208 and center of mass 210 may bea vertical plane that is oriented parallel to leading edge 204. Althoughnot shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, in some embodiments, hosel 206 may attach tobody 208 of improved iron golf club head 200 at the same vertical heightas center of mass 210.

As mentioned above, the position of center of mass 210 of improved irongolf club head 200 may vary in different embodiments. According to someembodiments, the position of center of mass 210 may be influenced and/ordetermined by the shape, loft, length, width, height, thickness, and/ordensity of improved iron golf club head 200 and various embodiments ofimproved golf club head 200 may have different shape and/or densitycharacteristics. For example, in some embodiments, body 208 of improvediron golf club head 200 may be a continuous material of approximatelyequally distributed density. However, in some embodiments, body 208 ofimproved iron golf club head 200 may include a hollow cavity filled withair or other materials. In some embodiments where body 208 includes ahollow cavity that is filled with air for example, the thickness offront face 202 may be thicker, the same, or thinner than the other wallsof body 208 to influence the positioning of center of mass 210. Forexample, if front face 202 is thicker than the other walls of body 208,this may have the effect of positioning center of mass 210 closer tofront face 202 relative to an embodiment where front face 202 is thinnerthan the other walls of body 208. In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS.2B and 2C, center of mass 210 of improved iron golf club head 200 may bepositioned close to front face 202. For example, in some embodiments animproved iron golf club head 200 may have a center of mass approximately8-30 millimeters behind leading edge 104, 5-25 millimeters high, and15-23 millimeters across front face 202 from the edge of hosel 206. Itshould be understood that these distances are illustrative only and thatthe position of the center of mass may vary as individual shapes anddesigns of club heads vary. In various embodiments, iron golf club head200 may be designed to have a center of gravity at different heights toachieve different results. For example, in some embodiments, improvediron golf club head 200 may be designed to have a high center of gravity210 by including a weighted triangular feature on the rear side of frontface 202 that has its apex at the height of the middle of the club head,which may result in increased distance when striking the ball. In someembodiments, improved iron golf club head 200 may be designed to have alow center of gravity 210 by including a weighted triangular feature onthe rear side of front face 202 that has its apex underneath the centerof the front face 202. The position of center of mass 110 of improvedwood golf club head 100 may similarly be changed by adjusting the heightof the apex of weighted insert 112.

Although the preceding description relates to an improved iron golf clubhead 200 having a vertically balanced leading edge, in some embodimentsit may be desirable for the leading edge to be offset from the verticalplane slightly (i.e., the vertical plane referred to when the golf clubis balanced on a table as previously described above). To avoidconfusion, the vertical plane referenced in relation to the verticalbalance of the leading edge (i.e., the vertical plane relative toleading edge 204 of the club head when the club head is balanced on atable as described previously above) may be referred to as the “absolutevertical plane.” In some embodiments, an improved iron golf club head200 may be open or closed from the absolute vertical plane byapproximately 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, or 5 degrees.According to some embodiments, an improved iron golf club head 200 maybe open or closed from the absolute vertical plane by any angle between0 degrees and 5 degrees. According to some embodiments, improved irongolf club head 200 may be designed to have a leading edge 204 that isoffset from the absolute vertical plane by an amount that is within therange of 0-5 degrees by, for example, adjusting the position at whichhosel 206 attaches to body 208 so that the centerline axis of hosel 206is not positioned in the same vertical plane as center of mass 210, butis offset from center of mass by some amount. For example, hosel 206 maybe positioned so that it attaches to body 208 in a vertical plane thatis slightly in front of or slightly behind center of mass 210. If hosel206 is positioned in a vertical plane that is slightly in front ofcenter of mass 210, it may cause leading edge 204 to be closed from theabsolute vertical plane by some amount, whereas if hosel 206 ispositioned in a vertical plane that is slightly behind center of 210, itmay cause leading edge 204 to be open from the absolute vertical plane.For example, FIG. 2D shows an example of a conventional iron golf clubhead 200A with a front face 202A, a leading edge 204A, a hosel 206A, abody 208A, and a center of mass 210A. The hosel 206A is positionedslightly in front of center of mass 210A, creating in this case, anangle of approximately 82 degrees from center of mass to the centerlineaxis of hosel 206A. In this case, the balance of leading edge 204A isclosed by 8 degrees. According to some embodiments, the balance ofleading edge 204 may be closed by an amount that is equal to 90 degreesminus the angle between center of mass 210 to the centerline axis ofhosel 206.

According to some embodiments, improved iron golf club head 200 may beadvantageously designed so that the weight is horizontally balancedacross front face 202 of the club head, which may contribute to improvedswing mechanics and increased energy transfer from iron golf club head200 to a golf ball. According to some embodiments, a horizontallybalanced club face may refer to a club face where the average positionof the height of the center of mass across the horizontal axis of theface of the club is at the same height or is at approximately the sameheight. In some embodiments, a horizontally balanced club face may referto a club face where the position of the vertical height of the massacross the front face 202 from the heel to the toe forms a trend linethat is approximately level to the ground (when the club is addressingthe ball). In some embodiments, the weight of improved iron golf clubhead 200 may be horizontally balanced such that center of mass 210 ispositioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 202. Accordingly, insome embodiments, center of mass 210 may be located in a vertical planethat intersects the midpoint of leading edge 204 at a perpendicularangle. In some embodiments, center of mass 210 may be located in avertical plane that intersects the top edge of front face 202 at aperpendicular angle. Balancing of the weight across front face 202 ofthe club head may be achieved, in some embodiments, by shaping frontface 202 so that, for example, front face 202 is symmetrical about aline that intersects the midpoint of leading edge at a perpendicularangle to leading edge. In some embodiments, balancing the weight ofimproved iron golf club head 200 such that center of mass 210 ispositioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 202 may be achievedby the design of the shape of front face 202 and body 208 balanced withthe weight of hosel 208.

Conventional irons do not have a symmetrical front face and/or body, butare typically thicker towards the toe of the club head than the heel,resulting in the weight of the club being unbalanced across the face ofthe club. However according to some embodiments, iron golf club head 200may have an asymmetrical face and may still be horizontally balancedacross the face. For example, FIG. 2E shows an illustration of anembodiments of an iron golf club head 200 that has an asymmetrical face(i.e., the toe has a greater height than the heel), but may nonethelessbe horizontally balanced by, for example, varying the thickness of irongolf club head 200 so that center of mass 210 is at the same heightacross front face 202 from the heel to the toe of iron golf club head200. According to some embodiments, the toe of iron golf club head 200may have a height that is greater the heel or a middle portion of irongolf club 200 to counterbalance hosel 206, as shown in FIG. 2E.Accordingly, in some embodiments, the length of hosel 206 may vary fromdesign to design depending on the thickness of the front face 202.Generally, hosel 206 may be less thick than front face 202 and so hosel206 may be taller than front face 202 to compensate for the differencein height to create balance between hosel 206 and the toe of iron golfclub head 200. According to some embodiments, some portion of the weightof hosel 206 may be ignored because it may act as a part of the shaftthat it is attached to and on the same plane with the same geometry.

Further, because the leading edge of the face of a typical iron isoffset from the front edge of hosel 206, a typical club head requiresmore weight to be concentrated in the toe portion of the club head tokeep the club face open and/or prevent it from closing over. Improvediron golf club head 200 does not have this problem because it does notinclude an offset. Further, because improved iron golf club head 200 mayhave a neutral balance, the club may have a flatter/lower lie angle ofhosel 206 biomechanically, which may allow for longer clubs to work inthe same situations and which may create faster speeds that can lead tolonger distance shots. Additionally, when going through thick grass, aconventional club will generally tend to close over immediately and theneutral balance provided by improved golf club head 200 may leave theface square regardless of the amount of turf resistance.

According to some embodiments, improved iron golf club head 200 mayadvantageously be designed such that center of mass 210 of improved golfclub head 200 relative to front face 202 may be positioned at the sameheight as the center of mass of a golf ball, which may beneficiallycause a golf ball to launch at the same angle as the club face whenstruck by the club. In contrast, conventional iron clubs generally havea center of mass positioned below the center of mass of the golf ballsuch that the golf ball launches at a higher angle than the angle of theclub face when struck. Accordingly, in some embodiments, improved irongolf club head 200 may have a front face 202 having a center of mass 210that is positioned approximately 21 millimeters above leading edge 204,approximating the height of the center of mass of a golf ball resting onthe ground. This may be achieved by, in some embodiments, for example,designing front face 202 to have the same height as a golf ball at thehorizontal position of front face 202 corresponding to the plane thataligns with center of mass 210.

FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C illustrate an example embodiment of animproved putter golf club head 300. As shown in FIG. 3A, improved puttergolf club head 300 has a front face 302 that may be used to strike agolf ball, a leading edge 304 positioned along the bottom edge of frontface 302, a hosel 306 that may be configured to attachably receive agolf club shaft (not shown), and a body 308 that is a three-dimensionalshape behind front face 302 that may provide mass that generates amomentum force when a club is including improved putter golf club head300 is swung. Improved putter club head 300 may also have a center ofmass 310 that may be a point that represents the mean position of matterof improved putter golf club head 300.

According to some embodiments, improved putter golf club head 300 may beadvantageously designed such that leading edge 304 may be balancedvertically, which may provide advantages such as increased club headspeed at the ball, reduced force from the club on the golfer, improvedswing biomechanics resulting from the maximum swing speed occurring atthe time of contact with the ball, reduced stress on the shaft of theclub, increased ball speed from a center strike of the ball, andenabling a golfer to line up their hands with the center of the clubhead rather than in front of or behind the club head. In other words, ifthe shaft of a golf club including improved putter golf club head 300were to be placed on top of a flat table such that improved putter golfclub head 300 freely dangled over the edge of the table, the weightdistribution of improved putter golf club head 300 may be such thatimproved putter golf club head may naturally come to rest in a positionwhere leading edge 302 may point directly downwards so that it isoriented in a plane that intersects with the ground at a 90 degree angle(assuming that the ground is perpendicular to the legs of the table).This characteristic may be referred to as having a “vertically balancedleading edge” or having a “90 degree leading edge” or a “0 degreeleading edge” (i.e., 90 degrees relative to the ground or 0 degreesrelative to the vertical plane). In contrast, conventional clubs aretypically closed from the vertical plane by roughly 8-15 degrees. Inother words, when a conventional club is balanced on a table in the samemanner as describe above, when at rest the leading edge of the club maypoint to the ground at an angle roughly within the range of 8-15 degreesfrom the vertical plane (i.e., the plane that intersects the ground at a90 degree angle). This is due to the fact that conventional clubstypically include a conventional offset (i.e., the offset between theforward most edge of the hosel and the leading edge of the club head) ofzero (i.e., the forward most edge of the hosel is aligned with theleading edge of the club head) or greater (i.e., the forward most edgeof the hosel is positioned in front of the leading edge of the clubhead). Typically, a conventional offset of zero from the leading edge ofthe club head will result in an approximately 8 degree balance offset(i.e., offset from the center of mass and the hosel). According to someembodiments, improved putter golf club head 300 has no such offset,which may cause improved putter golf club head 300 to have a verticallybalanced leading edge.

According to some embodiments, vertically balancing the leading edge maybe achieved by aligning hosel 306 to intersect with body 308 in the sameplane as center of mass 310 of the improved putter golf club head 300.In other words, hosel 306 may be positioned such that a centerline axisof hosel 306 (i.e., the line that extends along the center of thecylindrical portion of hosel 306) lies in the same vertical plane ascenter of mass 310. In various embodiments, center of mass 310 may bepositioned at different points in body 308. For example, in someembodiments, center of mass 310 may be positioned close to front face302 and in other embodiments center of mass 310 may be positioned closerto the center of body 308. Accordingly, in various embodiments, hosel306 may attach to body 308 at different points so that it is aligned inthe same vertical plane as center of mass 310 along the length of body308. Thus, in some embodiments, hosel 306 may attach to body 308 suchthat the centerline axis of hosel 308 is in the same vertical plane ascenter of mass 310. In some embodiments, the vertical plane thatincludes both the centerline of hosel 308 and center of mass 310 may bea vertical plane that is oriented parallel to leading edge 304.

As mentioned above, the position of center of mass 310 of improvedputter golf club head 300 may vary in different embodiments. Accordingto some embodiments, the position of center of mass 310 may beinfluenced and/or determined by the shape, loft, length, width, height,thickness, and/or density of improved putter golf club head 300 andvarious embodiments of improved golf club head 300 may have differentshape and/or density characteristics. For example, in some embodiments,body 308 of improved putter golf club head 300 may be a continuousmaterial of approximately equally distributed density. However, in someembodiments, body 308 of improved putter golf club head 300 may includea hollow cavity filled with air or other materials. In some embodimentswhere body 308 includes a hollow cavity that is filled with air forexample, the thickness of front face 302 may thicker, the same, orthinner than the other walls of body 308 to influence the positioning ofcenter of mass 310. For example, if front face 302 is thicker than theother walls of body 308, this may have the effect of positioning centerof mass 310 closer to front face 302 relative to an embodiment wherefront face 302 is thinner than the other walls of body 308. In someembodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, center of mass 310 of improvedputter golf club head 300 may be positioned close to front face 302. Forexample, in some embodiments, a putter comprising an improved puttergolf club head 300 may have a center of mass approximately 8-30millimeters behind leading edge 104, 5-25 millimeters high, and 15-23millimeters across front face 302 from the edge of hosel 306. It shouldbe understood that these distances are illustrative only and that theposition of the center of mass may vary as individual shapes and designsof club heads vary.

Although the preceding description relates to an improved putter golfclub head 300 having a vertically balanced leading edge, in someembodiments it may be desirable for the leading edge to be offset fromthe vertical plane slightly (i.e., the vertical plane referred to whenthe golf club is balanced on a table as previously described above). Toavoid confusion, the vertical plane referenced in relation to thevertical balance of the leading edge (i.e., the vertical plane relativeto leading edge 304 of the club head when the club head is balanced on atable as described previously above) may be referred to as the “absolutevertical plane.” In some embodiments, an improved putter golf club head300 may be open or closed from the absolute vertical plane byapproximately 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, or 5 degrees.According to some embodiments, an improved putter golf club head 300 maybe open or closed from the absolute vertical plane by any angle between0 degrees and 5 degrees. According to some embodiments, improved puttergolf club head 300 may be designed to have a leading edge 304 that isoffset from the absolute vertical plane by an amount that is within therange of 0-5 degrees by, for example, adjusting the position at whichhosel 306 attaches to body 308 so that the centerline axis of hosel 306is not positioned in the same vertical plane as center of mass 310, butis offset from center of mass by some amount. For example, hosel 306 maybe positioned so that it attaches to body 308 in a vertical plane thatis slightly in front of or slightly behind center of mass 310. If hosel306 is positioned in a vertical plane that is slightly in front ofcenter of mass 310, it may cause leading edge 304 to be closed from theabsolute vertical plane by some amount, whereas if hosel 306 ispositioned in a vertical plane that is slightly behind center of 310, itmay cause leading edge 304 to be open from the absolute vertical plane.

According to some embodiments, improved putter golf club head 300 may beadvantageously designed so that the weight is horizontally balancedacross front face 302 of the club head, which may contribute to improvedswing mechanics and increased energy transfer from putter golf club head300 to a golf ball. According to some embodiments, a horizontallybalanced club face may refer to a club face where the height of thecenter of mass across the horizontal axis of the front face 302 of theclub is at the same height or is at approximately the same height. Insome embodiments, a horizontally balanced club face may refer to a clubface where the position of the vertical height of the mass across thefront face 302 from the heel to the toe forms a trend line that isapproximately level to the ground (when the club is addressing theball). In some embodiments, the weight of improved putter golf club head300 may be horizontally balanced such that center of mass 310 ispositioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 302. Accordingly, insome embodiments, center of mass 310 may be located in a vertical planethat intersects the midpoint of leading edge 304 at a perpendicularangle. In some embodiments, center of mass 310 may be located in avertical plane that intersects the top edge of front face 302 at aperpendicular angle. Balancing of the weight across front face 302 ofthe club head may be achieved, in some embodiments, by shaping frontface 302 so that, for example, front face 302 is symmetrical about aline that intersects the midpoint of leading edge at a perpendicularangle to leading edge. In some embodiments, balancing the weight ofimproved putter golf club head 300 such that center of mass 310 ispositioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 302 may be achievedby the design of the shape of front face 302 and body 108 balanced withthe weight of hosel 308. According to some embodiments, improved puttergolf club head 100 may have more weight on the upper part of the toe ofin an embodiment where front face 302 is approximately symmetrical inorder to counterbalance the weight of hosel 306. According to someembodiments, an improved putter golf club head 300 may be designed to behorizontally balanced in a manner similar to wood golf club head 100described above by including more weight on the upper part of the toe inorder to counterbalance the weight of hosel 306.

According to some embodiments, improved putter golf club head 300 mayadvantageously be designed such that the center of mass 310 of improvedgolf club head 300 relative to front face 302 may be positioned at thesame height as the center of mass of a golf ball, which may beneficiallycause a more efficient strike of the ball and/or consistent transfer offorce from improved putter golf club head 300 to the golf ball.Accordingly, in some embodiments, improved putter golf club head 300 mayhave a front face 302 center of mass 310 positioned approximately 21millimeters above leading edge 304 to align with the center of mass of atypical golf ball. In some embodiments, center of mass 310 may bepositioned a slight distance below the height of the center of mass of agolf ball to account for the fact that improved putter golf club head300 will typically be slightly elevated off the ground when putting agolf ball. In some embodiments, positioning of center of mass 310 may beachieved by, for example, designing front face 302 to be symmetrical andto have the same total height as a golf ball such that the middle of theface would be half the height of the golf ball, or in some embodimentsfront face 302 may be designed to have slightly less than the same totalheight of a golf ball to account for the elevated position of improvedputter golf club head 300 when striking the ball. Alternatively, aweighted insert or attachment may be used to adjust the vertical heightof center of mass 310 in a manner similarly described with respect toimproved wood golf club head 100 and/or improved iron golf club head200.

FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B., and FIG. 4C show images of a three-dimensional modelof an exemplary iron golf club head 200 reflecting the design describedabove with respect to FIGS. 2A-E. As shown in FIG. 4A, improved irongolf club head 200 has a front face 202 that may be used to strike agolf ball, a leading edge 204 positioned along the bottom edge of frontface 202, a hosel 206 that may be configured to attachably receive agolf club shaft (not shown), and a body 208 that is a three-dimensionalshape behind front face 202 that may provide mass that generates amomentum force when a club is including improved iron golf club head 200is swung. Improved iron golf club head 200 may also have a center ofmass (not shown) that may be a point that represents the mean positionof matter of improved iron golf club head 200. FIGS. 4B-4C show theimproved golf club head 200 from various other perspectives, accordingto exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5C show examples of a conventionally balancedwood golf club 500A, iron golf club 500B, and putter golf club 500C,respectively. For comparison to conventionally balanced clubs, FIG. 6A,FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C show example clubs having vertically balanced golfclub heads. In accordance with embodiments of this disclosure, FIG. 6Ashow wood golf club head 100, FIG. 6B shows an offset view of an irongolf club head 200, and FIG. 6C shows a different offset view of an irongolf club head 200.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show examples of improved wedge iron golf club heads200 according to exemplary embodiments. Specifically, FIG. 7A is a rearperspective view, and FIG. 7B is a top isometric view of improved wedgeiron golf club heads 200, according to exemplary embodiments. FIG. 7Aincludes the features of improved iron golf club heads 200 as describedwith reference to FIGS. 2A-2E. Improved wedge iron golf club head 200includes a front face 202 (shown in FIG. 7B), a leading edge 204 (shownin FIG. 7B), a hosel 206, and a body 208.

As further seen in FIG. 7B, improved wedge iron golf club head 200 mayhave a front face 202 that may be used to strike a golf ball, a leadingedge 204 positioned along the bottom edge of front face 202, a hosel 206that may be configured to attachably receive a golf club shaft (notshown), and a body 208 that is a three-dimensional shape behind frontface 202 that may provide mass that generates a momentum force when aclub is including improved iron golf club head 200 is swung. Improvediron golf club head 200 may also have a center of mass 210 that may be apoint that represents the mean position of matter of improved iron golfclub head 200. According to some embodiments, improved wedge iron golfclub head 200 may be configured to have a vertically balanced leadingedge.

According to some embodiments, improved wedge iron golf club head 200may be advantageously designed so that the weight is horizontallybalanced across front face 202 of the club head, which may contribute toimproved swing mechanics and increased energy transfer from wedge irongolf club head 200 to a golf ball. According to some embodiments, ahorizontally balanced club face may refer to a club face where theaverage position of the height of the center of mass across thehorizontal axis of the face of the club is at the same height or is atapproximately the same height. In some embodiments, a horizontallybalanced club face may refer to a club face where the position of thevertical height of the mass across the front face 202 from the heel tothe toe forms a trend line that is approximately level to the ground(when the club is addressing the ball). In some embodiments, the weightof improved wedge iron golf club head 200 may be horizontally balancedsuch that center of mass 210 is positioned at the horizontal midpoint offront face 202. Accordingly, in some embodiments, center of mass 210 maybe located in a vertical plane that intersects the midpoint of leadingedge 204 at a perpendicular angle. In some embodiments, center of mass210 may be located in a vertical plane that intersects the top edge offront face 202 at a perpendicular angle. Balancing of the weight acrossfront face 202 of the club head may be achieved, in some embodiments, byshaping front face 202 so that, for example, front face 202 issymmetrical about a line that intersects the midpoint of leading edge ata perpendicular angle to leading edge. In some embodiments, balancingthe weight of improved wedge iron golf club head 200 such that center ofmass 210 is positioned at the horizontal midpoint of front face 202 maybe achieved by the design of the shape of front face 202 and body 208balanced with the weight of hosel 208.

According to some embodiments, improved wedge iron golf club head 200may advantageously be designed such that center of mass 210 of improvedwedge iron golf club head 200 relative to front face 202 may bepositioned at the same height as the center of mass of a golf ball,which may beneficially cause a golf ball to launch at the same angle asthe club face when struck by the club. In contrast, conventional ironclubs generally have a center of mass positioned below the center ofmass of the golf ball such that the golf ball launches at a higher anglethan the angle of the club face when struck. Accordingly, in someembodiments, improved wedge iron golf club head 200 may have a frontface 202 having a center of mass 210 that is positioned approximately 21millimeters above leading edge 204, approximating the height of thecenter of mass of a golf ball resting on the ground. This may beachieved by, in some embodiments, for example, designing front face 202to have the same height as a golf ball at the horizontal position offront face 202 corresponding to the plane that aligns with center ofmass 210.

While certain embodiments of the disclosed technology have beendescribed in connection with what is presently considered to be the mostpractical embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosedtechnology is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on thecontrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalentarrangements included within the scope of the appended claims. Althoughspecific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic anddescriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

This written description uses examples to disclose certain embodimentsof the disclosed technology, including the best mode, and also to enableany person skilled in the art to practice certain embodiments of thedisclosed technology, including making and using any devices or systemsand performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of certainembodiments of the disclosed technology is defined in the claims, andmay include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Suchother examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if theyhave structural elements that do not differ from the literal language ofthe claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements withinsubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf club, comprising: a shaft with a first endand a second end opposite the first end; and a club head attached theshaft, the club head comprising: a front face comprising a leading edge,a heel, and a toe; a body extending outwards from the rear side of thefront face; and a hosel extending upwards from the heel, the hoselcomprising an aperture for attachably receiving the first end of theshaft, wherein the hosel is attached to the heel such that a verticalplane includes both a centerline axis of the hosel and a center of massof the club head.
 2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the verticalplane is oriented parallel to the leading edge.
 3. The golf club ofclaim 1, wherein the body includes a hollow cavity.
 4. The golf club ofclaim 3, wherein the hollow cavity is configured to attachably receive aweighted insert, the weighted insert permanently installed within thehollow cavity of the club head.
 5. The golf club of claim 3, wherein theweighted insert is triangular or pyramidal in structure.
 6. The golfclub of claim 3, wherein the center of mass of the club head ispositioned at a horizontal midpoint of the front face.
 7. The golf clubof claim 3, wherein the center of mass of the club head is positionedapproximately 21 millimeters above the leading edge.
 8. A golf club,comprising: a shaft with a first end and a second end opposite the firstend; and a club head attached the shaft, the club head comprising: afront face comprising a leading edge, a heel, and a toe; a bodyextending outwards from the rear side of the front face; and a hoselextending upwards from the heel, the hosel comprising an aperture forattachably receiving the first end of the shaft, wherein the club headis horizontally balanced across the front face.
 9. The golf club ofclaim 8, wherein a center of mass of the club head is positioned at ahorizontal midpoint of the front face.
 10. The golf club of claim 8,wherein the hosel is positioned so that a centerline axis of the hosellies in a vertical plane with a center of mass of the club head.
 11. Thegolf club of claim 8, wherein the hosel attaches to the body at a sameheight as a center of mass of the club head.
 12. The golf club of claim8, wherein the front face is asymmetrical.
 13. The golf club of claim 8,wherein the body comprises a hollow cavity, the hollow cavityinfluencing a position of a center of mass.
 14. The golf club of claim8, wherein the club head is offset from an absolute vertical plane byapproximately 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, or 5 degrees.15. A golf club head, comprising: a front face comprising a leadingedge, a heel, and a toe; a body extending outwards from the rear side ofthe front face; and a hosel extending upwards from the heel, the hoselcomprising an aperture for attachably receiving a shaft, wherein thehosel is attached to the heel such that a vertical plane includes both acenterline axis of the hosel and a center of mass of the club head. 16.The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the body is a continuousmaterial of approximately equal distributed density.
 17. The golf clubhead of claim 15, wherein the body comprises a hollow cavity.
 18. Thegolf club head of claim 15, wherein the club head is offset from anabsolute vertical plane by approximately 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees,4 degrees, or 5 degrees.
 19. The golf club head of claim 15, having anasymmetrical club face, the club face horizontally balanced by varying athickness of the club head such that an average height of the center ofmass from heel to toe is level with the ground.
 20. The golf club headof claim 19, wherein the center of mass of the club head is positionedapproximately 21 millimeters above the leading edge.